Work

Scalable high-temperature superconducting diodes enabled by intrinsic Josephson junctions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Superconducting diodes, enabling nonreciprocal supercurrents, hold promise for dissipationless electronics and time-reversal-symmetry-broken physics. Developing platforms that combine high-temperature operation with scalable fabrication remains a critical challenge for the field. Here, we show that the intrinsic Josephson junctions naturally in the layered cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ offer a robust, lithography-compatible platform for high-temperature superconducting diodes. By controlling the number of naturally stacked junctions, we achieve tunable nonreciprocity, with single-surface junctions exhibiting peak efficiency and programmable zero-field memory states. A microscopic model attributes this behavior to geometry-induced anharmonicity in the current-phase relation, amplified by atomic-scale barriers. Moreover, by exploiting the natural junction architecture, we fabricate arrays containing hundreds of reproducible diodes. By uniting high-temperature operation with scalability and programmable functionality, intrinsic Josephson diodes establish a practical route toward superconducting electronics and open new avenues of nonreciprocal superconducting transport.

Source: National Science Review

DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwag285